A Light in this Dark Time
by WhaleMaster
Summary: Magnoliapaw, a ThunderClan she-cat apprentice comes back from a hunting trip to find her family and mentor dead. Magnoliapaw contemplates suicide, but stops when she sees her best friend, Sunpaw, who she is in love with. Will she commit suicide? Will she confess her feelings to Sunpaw? You find out! New name suggestions are welcome! Plz review and leave your constructive criticisms
1. Alliances WIP

**Allegiances and stuff-**

 _ThunderClan:_

 _Leader_ \- Orangestar. Bright orange she-cat with green eyes.

 _Deputy_ \- Tawnypelt. Yellow/brown tom with creepy red eyes.

 _Warriors_ -

Lightclaw. White tom with yellow eyes.

Brambletooth. Brown tom with green eyes.

Thunderfang

Eagleheart

Whitestripe

 _apprentices-_

Sunpaw. Yellowish orange tom with yellow eyes.

Magnoliapaw. Gray/black she-cat with green eyes.

Sandpaw. Imagine Sandstorm from the series, but male.

Oakpaw

Skypaw

 **This will be updated later in the story and completed, but I'm lazy right now because it's 4:30 AM**


	2. Devastation

Magnoliapaw, a gray and black she-cat, was the result of an interclan relationship which caused almost all of the cats in ThunderClan to dislike her. The only cats who did like her were her adopted mother, father, and brother, her mentor, and her best friend Sunpaw.

One day she was sent out on a hunting trip with Sunpaw, Lightclaw, and Brambletooth. The hunting was good that day, she caught two chaffinches, two voles, and one wood mouse. All of the hunting party had a similar amount of kill and they all somehow managed to carry it all back to camp in one load.

When they entered the camp it was a nightmare. Blood everywhere, ShadowClan and ThunderClan cats fighting all over the place. She immediately dropped her kills and went racing towards her mother, father, and brother laying on the ground in a pool of blood. Sunpaw ran after her.

"Swiftfoot, Flowerpelt, Specklepaw!" Magnoliapaw yelled in shock. "Please, wake up, don't be gone!"

"Magnolaipaw, I'm so sorry..." Sunpaw said, trying to comfort his friend. "At least they died honorably and they're with StarClan now."

Magnoliapaw just started crying on Sunpaw's shoulder. "Why did the two best warriors get sent out on a hunting trip for this? Why now?" she asked Sunpaw.

"I don't know..."

"Thunderfang!" Magnolia shouted, suddenly remembering her mentor.

"Magnoliapaw..." she heard his voice from behind her. She looked around to see that he had a large, deep cut going from his ear to his tail and multiple deep cuts all over him.

"Thunderfang, please don't die! I can get some of Dusktail's herbs!" She said in a panic.

"It's too late... Just stay strong, Magnolia..." He said, dying before he could finish her name.

Magnoliapaw burst into tears again, unable to control herself. Sunpaw rushed to comfort her.

"Shh... I'm here for you, Magnoliapaw."

Magnoliapaw looked down and unsheathed her claw.

~It would just take a few seconds...~ she thought to herself. ~Then I wouldn't have to be away from them.~

But when she looked at Sunpaw she knew she couldn't do it. She had fallen in love with him after all of the times he stood up for her and all of the times he had made her feel better when other cats would make fun of her.

"At least no one else died." Sunpaw said, not realizing his mistake in saying that.

When Magnoliapaw saw that no one but the people who cared about her had died she just cried harder and dug her face into Sunpaw's fur.

Orangestar came over to her, shaking her head.

"I tried to help them, but I couldn't get to them in time. I'm sorry, Magnoliapaw." Orangestar said. "I feel like this is my fault for sending out Lightclaw and Brambletooth."

Magnoliapaw was still drawn to the sweet allure of her claw, taking away this nightmare and letting her see her family and mentor.

"I'll have to give you a new mentor tomorrow." Orangestar said.

Magnoliapaw spent her night in misery, standing vigil for her family and mentor's death.


	3. Sandpaw's Scorn

Orangestar appointed Brambletooth to be her mentor after she had slept. Brambletooth and Lightclaw took Sunpaw and Magnoliapaw training the next day.

"Magnoliapaw, show me your best rabbit stalking stance." Brambletooth said.

"Yes Brambletooth." She said glumly, dropping into the crouch Thunderfang had shown her.

"Good. I see Thunderfang taught you well." Brambletooth said.

"Thank you." She said, not caring what Brambletooth thought.

"Now you two stay here for a moment while we decide what to do." Lightclaw said, stepping out with Brambletooth.

"Magnoliapaw, You seem off today." Sunpaw said, concerned.

"Well, you and Thunderfang and my family were the only cats who didn't call me names and actually stood up for me." Magnoliapaw said. "Now they're gone."

"At least I'm still here." Sunpaw said, trying to cheer her up.

"You won't be much longer with my luck." Magnoliapaw said, unaffected by her friend's optimism.

"I promise that I will not die for a long time." Sunpaw said. "Just promise me you won't either."

Magnoliapaw looked at him, a tear coming to her eye. "I promise." she said, starting to smile.

Just then Their mentors came in.

"Okay, you two, we will go hunting the rest of the day." Lightclaw said.

"Yes sirs!" Magnoliapaw and Sunpaw said in unison.

They came back near sunset with lots of fresh kill. it took them three trips to carry it all to the camp. They then shared tongues for a while and soon went to their den to sleep.

"Look, it's the flower of death." Magnoliapaw heard a voice say to her as she walked in.

"What do you mean, Sandpaw?" She asked.

"Just that Thunderfang and your family couldn't put up with you anymore. That's why they're dead." Sandpaw said with a sneer. "You don't belong here. Even stupid Sunpaw knows that"

"And you know that I will cut you open if you say another word." Sunpaw said, coming in.

Magnoliapaw just walked over to her nest and curled up in a ball, unsheathing her claw again.

"One little cut and it could all be over..." She said to herself. "No more Sandpaw, no more dirty looks, no more names..." Magnoliapaw didn't hear Sunpaw walking up behind her.

"Magnoliapaw..." Sunpaw said, shocked. "I was just going to offer to sleep over here with you..."

Magnoliapaw looked at him and started crying.

"I just don't think I can do it... Everyone could care less if I died."

"Magnoliapaw, please don't. You're my best friend and I don't know what I would do without you." Sunpaw said, laying down next to her.

"Best friend..." She said bitterly and nearly inaudibly "And that's how it would stay..."

"What?" Sunpaw asked.

"You'd just hang around with Oakpaw. She's pretty and she's probably a better friend." Magnoliapaw said.

"Oakpaw is pretty, but you're beautiful and irreplaceable." Sunpaw said.

"Yeah right" Magnoliapaw said. "You're just saying that so you can stab me in the back later or something. Why else?"

"Because I love you!" Sunpaw said, both of them going quiet.

"Do... Do you really mean that?" Magnoliapaw asked.

"Yes. I didn't want to say that for a while, but... It just kinda came out."

"I love you, too." Magnoliapaw said. "I could never say it before..."

They were silent again and Magnoliapaw soon fell asleep with her head on Sunpaw's side.


	4. A Deadly Surprise

Magnoliapaw and Sandpaw woke up Earlier than the other apprentices.

"I'm glad they're such heavy sleepers." Magnoliapaw said.

"I'm not." Said an unfamiliar voice behind them.

"Who are you?" Magnoliapaw asked, turning around to see a new apprentice.

"I'm Skypaw. I just became an apprentice yesterday." Skypaw said. "But if you two don't want anyone to know what went on last night I can be quiet."

"Thanks, Skypaw." Sunpaw said.

"No problem!" Skypaw said, walking out.

Soon Magnoliapaw and Sandpaw walked out into the clearing and watched the sky together.

"Hello Magnoliapaw!" Said Brambletooth, walking towards them

"Hi Brambletooth!" Said Magnoliapaw, smiling.

"You're in a better mood today." Brambletooth said. "We're training with Lightclaw again, he's waiting at the training hollow. come along, you two."

The next few days were spent in the same fashion. Magnoliapaw and Sandpaw trained nearly all day, brought back any kill they had if they had done any hunting during training, ate with each other, and went to sleep.

in a few days, Magnoliapaw went on another hunting trip, but this time it was with Oakpaw, Crimsonfoot, and Brambletooth. Brambletooth noticed that Magnoliapaw was worried so he decided to pull her over and talk to her.

"What's troubling you, Magnoliapaw?"

"Well... You know what happened last time i was on a hunting trip."

"Trust me. Nothing like that will happen." Brambletooth said, reassuring Magnoliapaw

They had a very successful hunt that day, everyone needing multiple trips to bring it all back, yet there was only one trip back.

As they neared the ThunderClan camp they smelled more ShadowClan cats, ThunderClan cats, and blood. Magnoliapaw immediately looked for Sunpaw. She saw Sunpaw being trapped by four ShadowClan cats.

"No!" She shouted, charging, as one of the ShadowClan cats threw him into a tree with one blow. Magnoliapaw slid under the ShadowClan Tom and scratched his belly until he sprinted away in pain. She then got inbetween the other ShadowClan cats and Sunpaw.

"To get to him you have to go through me!" Magnoliapaw shouted, looking as threatening as she could.

"Watch out!" Sunpaw said, attacking a She-cat coming up behind Magnoliapaw.

They were fighting the ShadowClan cats for what seemed like hours, though it could only have been minutes. Orangestar soon came with Lightclaw, Brambletooth, and Eagleheart to frighten off the cats attacking them.

"Sunpaw, Magnoliapaw, are you two alright?" Orangestar asked.

"I'm... I think I'm..." Sunpaw said, passing out from exhaustion and blood loss.

"Sunpaw..." Magnoliapaw said. "I think... I can't..." Magnoliapaw passed out right next to Sunpaw.

"Lightclaw, Brambletooth, get them to Dusktail immediately." Orangestar said, going to the highrock to gather the clan.

"I will skip the usual call because you are all already here." She said. "We have now been attacked twice by ShadowClan in the past week. We shall bring this up at the meeting in five days. I will be leaving our strongest warriors here at all times in case of another attack."

"Why would ShadowClan do this?" a voice shouted from the assembled cats.

"I don't know, but I'm getting to the root of this at the clan meeting..."


	5. A Day of Rest

Dusktail said that both Sunpaw and Magnoliapaw were going to make it through the wounds as long as they didn't get infected. They had scratches all over them and had lost a lot of blood, but they would have still passed out through sheer exhaustion from the fight.

The next day Sunpaw woke up.

"Magnoliapaw!" he shouted, sprinting to her, but collapsing due to the pain when he got to her.

"Calm down!" Dusktail said. "You could have reopened your wounds!"

"Sunpaw!" Magnoliapaw shouted, standing up and looking for him, but falling down due to pain.

"Wow, you two are... odd." Dusktail said, slightly surprised. "You two are going to be fine as long as you don't get those wounds infected, and that'll be hard to do when you're in here."

"Thank you, Dusktail." Sunpaw said.

"Anyways, I'm going to gather some herbs. I trust you two will be fine while i am gone." Dusktail said, walking out.

"Yes sir!" Magnoliapaw said.

"Magnoliapaw, thank you so much." Sunpaw said, nuzzling her. "Without you I would be dead."

"Think of it as me repaying a debt for you doing the same." Magnoliapaw said.

"I didn't think we were going to make it for a while." Sunpaw said. "That was one of the scariest parts of my life."

"Same here." Magnoliapaw said. "But we're okay and we're gonna keep going!"

"I love you." Sunpaw said, getting closer to her.

"I love you, too." Magnoliapaw said, rubbing her head against his.

"And you two are coming to the meeting in four days. If you can walk, that is." Orangestar said, walking in.

"Oh... umm... hi Orangestar." Sunpaw said, surprised

"Thank you, Orangestar." Magnoliapaw said, slightly embarrassed.

"And I've known about you two since Sandpaw made you..." Orangestar paused, looking for the right word. "Unhappy."

"You were sitting by the apprentice's den in the middle of the night for no reason?" Sunpaw asked, slightly startled at his leader's odd habits.

"I have trouble sleeping." Orangestar said. "I can't sleep so I walk around the camp a lot at night. I heard you two start your conversation and decided to listen until the end."

Orangestar was about to leave when Dusktail came in.

"Hello Orangestar!" Dusktail said, surprised.

"Hello Dusktail." Orangestar said. "When do you think these two could walk again?"

"Oh, maybe two or three days. Why?

"They're coming to the meeting."

"But they'll be recovering! you can't!"

"What would better prove the attack than these two apprentices who nearly died during the attack?"

"But they might not be able to make it there while recovering."

"I can have someone carry them if needed."

"Fine, but be sure to be gentle with them." Dusktail said, slightly annoyed at her persistence.

"Good." She said, turning towards Sunpaw and Magnoliapaw. "I will see you two in four days."

Orangestar walked out and soon Sunpaw and Magnoliapaw fell asleep.


	6. A Great Confusion

Four days later the clam meeting was going to happen. ThunderClan was the last clan to get there. Orangestar Wasted no time with formalities in this meeting.

"ShadowClan has launched two attacks on our camp recently. I have brought two apprentices here who nearly died in the last attack. one of them had their entire family and their mentor killed in the first attack. Step forward, Magnoliapaw and Sunpaw." Orangestar said, flicking her tail to the spot she wanted them in.

Magnoliapaw and Sunpaw slowly limped into the designated spot, Magnoliapaw stumbling and being caught by Sunpaw as they arrived.

"Why have you been sending your warriors into our camp, trying to kill innocent cats, Darkstar?"

Darkstar looked Shocked and horrified staring at Magnoliapaw and Sunpaw.

"What? I... I had no idea this was happening..." He said, complete shock on his face. "Who in the name of StarClan did this?" He shouted angrily to his clan, who all were looking at Magnoliapaw and Sunpaw, shocked beyond words.

When no one responded to his question, Darkstar simply looked at Orangestar, too confused to speak.

"Someone in your clan has been launching attacks on our camp and we will not spare their lives if they invade us again."

Darkstar just nodded, still at a loss for words.

"May we step back now?" Sunpaw asked Orangestar.

"Yes you may, Sunpaw."

"Thank you." Magnoliapaw said, turning with Sunpaw to limp back to where they were before. Magnoliapaw fell down on their way back and Sunpaw had to help her up so they could go lay down.

"How do you know that this is ShadowClan's fault?" Oceanstar asked.

"We scraped some of the fur off of one of our attackers. Eagleheart!"

Eagleheart then came forward and dropped some skin with fur on it.

"It smells of ShadowClan, but we cannot tell who it belongs to."

"If you wish we could send some guards to your camp to help until you have all recovered." Swiftstar said.

"We will be fine. Two of our best warriors were out on a hunting trip during both attacks. we are keeping them within the camp at all times now."

"I will do my best to root out who has been doing this to your camp, Orangestar." Darkstar said. " I... I can't believe what some cats can do without remorse or guilt" He said, the disgust obvious in his voice.

Then the other clans went through all of what they had wanted to bring up at the meeting. RiverClan warned WindClan to stay at its borders, WindClan had seen multiple badgers about, and ShadowClan didn't have anything to bring up after seeing Sunpaw and Magnoliapaw. The meeting was soon over and all of the clans went back to their home and had a gathering to discuss what happened at the meeting.

"Darkstar and all ShadowClan members at the tree had no idea that ShadowClan cats had been attacking us. There is definitely something going on here, maybe someone trying to start a clan war, maybe some ShadowClan cats who just hate ThunderClan..."

Sunpaw and Magnoliapaw just limped back into Dusktail's den and laid down next to each other.

"Thank you for catching me back there." Magnoliapaw said, nuzzling him

"It was nothing. I would do nearly anything for you, Magnoliapaw." Sunpaw responded. "I love you." Sunpaw purred.

"I love you, too, Sunpaw." Said Magnoliapaw, laying her head down on his back, her eyes starting to flicker into sleep.

"Sorry to interrupt you two again, but you two will be joining me on a journey to the moonstone in five days. `Whitestripe` will be joining us." Orangestar said, walking in. "I apparently have quite the habit of interrupting you two."

"It's fine." Magnoliapaw said, too exhausted to care, starting to fall asleep with hear head on Sunpaw

"I'll make sure she remembers in the morning." Sunpaw said, licking her head.

"Thank you, Sunpaw. I want to tell you that you two look adorable together." Orangestar said. "Anyways, go to sleep with her. You need some rest."

"Yes ma'am" Sunpaw said, laying his head on Magnoliapaw.

Soon Sunpaw drifted off with Magnoliapaw and had a good night's sleep.

*Yeah, I named a character Whitestripe. I think Jack White, the White Stripes, and the Raconteurs are awesome.*


	7. A Dangerous Mistake

When they woke up the next morning, Magnoliapaw and Sunpaw were sore all over. The walk to fourtrees and back really worked out their legs, which hadn't done much work in a few days.

"Dusktail, When do you think we'll be able to train again?" Magnoliapaw asked.

"I'd say about 10 more days and you'll be back to normal, so maybe a couple days before that." Dusktail said. "If you're careful, that is."

"Dusktail, Orangestar came in while you were away last night and said we were going to the moonstone in four days." Sunpaw said.

Dusktail looked annoyed.

"Alright, but you two will might need some extra herbs... I wonder why Orangestar is taking you to the moonstone of all places. She could at least do it when you two's injuries are healed."

"I wonder why, too." Magnoliapaw said. "Wanna walk around camp a bit, Sunpaw?"

"Sure, but go slow, my legs are really sore."

"They should be after that walk." Dusktail said, still annoyed with Orangestar.

"Of course we'll go slow." Said Magnoliapaw. "You aren't the only one who's sore."

Sunpaw and Magnoliapaw were walking around the camp, occasionally stumbling, when Sandpaw came out of the apprentices den.

"I see Orangestar didn't leave you at fourtrees after she congratulated ShadowClan for what they did to you two." Sandpaw said, smirking.

"If I hadn't taken on multiple ShadowClan warriors and then walked all the way to fourtrees and back, which, if you didn't realize, trumps everything you've done in your life, you wouldn't have a throat right now." Sunpaw said angrily.

"You two are just jealous that I'm going to be a warrior soon. I can feel it."

"Oh really? have you been to the moonstone?" Magnoliapaw asked with a smirk.

"No, but Orangestar said she would take me next time she does." Sandpaw lied.

"That's odd because she came to us last night and said she was leaving for the moonstone in five days and she was taking Sunpaw, Whitestripe, and I." Magnoliapaw said. "I guess there must have been some misunderstanding, then."

"You're a liar!" Sandpaw yelled, lunging at Magnoliapaw.

Magnoliapaw dodged, but Sandpaw pinned her down while she was in pain from the sudden movement. Sunpaw immediately knocked Sandpaw off of her.

"Don't you dare hurt Magnoliapaw." Sunpaw hissed, standing in front of Magnoliapaw.

"What seems to be the problem here?" Eagleheart asked, walking over to them.

"Your apprentice here decided to come out and taunt us. When we told her we were going to the moonstone she jumped on Magnoliapaw." Sunpaw said, still staring angrily at Sandpaw

"Sandpaw, I told you to stop doing these things! Why can't you just get along with other cats?"

Sandpaw just looked away from her mentor, not answering.

"Are you okay, Magnoliapaw?" Eagleheart asked.

Magnoliapaw got up, wincing a little from pain.

"I'm okay." Magnoliapaw said.

"Sandpaw, over there. now." Eagleheart said, flicking his tail.

"Yes sir..."

Eagleheart and Sandpaw walked off so Eagleheart could give Sandpaw a talking to.

"I hate Sandpaw..." Magnoliapaw said.

"I do, too. He never knows when to stop. Are you sure you're okay."

"My back hurts, but I'm fine."

"Want to go to the sunning rocks for a little bit?" Sunpaw asked.

"Sure!"

Sunpaw and Magnoliapaw walked off, not knowing what awaited them.


	8. The Water and the Golden Hero

Magnoliapaw and Sunpaw were basking in the sunlight on the sunning rocks when Magnoliapaw heard the snap of a twig in the forest.

"Sunpaw, did you hear that?" Magnoliapaw whispered, looking around cautiously.

"Hear what?" Sunpaw asked, relaxing.

"Probably us!" A cat said, motioning with his tail as four more cats came out around the sunning rocks.

Magnoliapaw immediately pressed herself against Sunpaw, scared half to death.

"Please don't hurt us!" Sunpaw said, trying to look like he wasn't a threat.

"It's too late after what happened at your camp last time. You'll die like you should have that day!" One cat hissed.

"Just kill me! Leave her alone!" Sunpaw shouted.

"Look, a little hero." Another cat said. "Too bad his story will never be told."

"What do we do?" Magnoliapaw asked as the cats started moving forward.

"They'll be too fast on land... We'll have to try to go across the river."

"But that's RiverClan territory!"

"It's our only chance of losing them!"

"Fine. If... If I don't make it, know that I love you." Magnoliapaw said.

"And if I don't make it, know the same." Sunpaw said. "Go for the river... Now!"

As soon as he shouted "now" they jumped over the ring of cats surrounding them and ran as fast as they could for the river. They jumped into the river , but, not having swam in the river before, were immediately overwhelmed by the current. Magnoliapaw and Sunpaw were soon under the water, struggling to catch a breath, while their attackers started to swim towards them.

"It's them!" A voice shouted from the other side of the river.

Soon pawsteps were rushing towards the apprentices, turning into splashes as they entered the water and grabbed Sunpaw and Magnoliapaw, pulling them out of the water.

"Are you two okay?" An unfamiliar voice asked them.

"I-I-I'm c-c-c-cold." Magnoliapaw said, shivering, tears starting to come out of her eyes.

Sunpaw immediately came closer to Magnoliapaw.

"I think you two will be safe." The obviously RiverClan cat said. "You came along just as we were coming along on patrol. Who are these cats?"

"Th-they're the c-c-cats who were a-attacking our c-camp." Sunpaw said, trying to get warmer by pressing against Magnoliapaw.

"You two hold on here while we take care of them." The cat said, jumping into the river.

Sunpaw and Magnoliapaw sat, warming each other, ready to run away if the RiverClan patrol failed, but the ShadowClan cats were no match for the RiverClan cats in the water. Magnoliapaw and Sunpaw thanked them as soon as the RiverClan cats came back to them.

"Without you we wouldn't have made it away from them." Sunpaw said, starting to tear up. "Thank you so much."

"When we recognized you from the meeting we couldn't just leave you two in the river, especially when we realized that those weren't ThunderClan cats." said Streamtail. "Goldshower will give you an escort back to your camp."

Goldshower then led them across the river and into the ThunderClan camp. When Orangestar saw Sunpaw and Magnoliapaw, soaked, walking with a RiverClan cat, she immediately had them all go to Dusktail's den.

"What happened?" Orangestar asked the soaked apprentices.

"We were over at the sunning rocks when I heard a twig snap and five of the cats who attacked our camp circled us." Magnoliapaw explained

"I thought we could try to escape by getting over the river..." Sunpaw said.

"My patrol found them and I dragged them to the shore while we scared off the cats chasing them. I was ordered to escort them back to their camp." Goldshower finished.

Dusktail walked in then and, upon seeing Sunpaw and Magnoliapaw dripping water on the ground, immediately got something to dry them off.

"Thank you for saving these two." Orangestar told Goldshower. "I had no idea those ShadowClan cats would do this..."

Soon Goldshower left and Magnoliapaw and Sunpaw started to fall asleep because of the excitement of their day.

"I can't believe we're alive." Magnoliapaw said, snuggling up against Sunpaw.

"I'm just glad I get to be with you more." Sunpaw purred, licking her head. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"And I'm horrible at timing!" Said Orangestar, walking in.

"Oh. Hi Orangestar." Sunpaw said with a yawn.

"Hello Orangestar." Magnoliapaw said, laying her head on Sunpaw.

"I just came to say that you two will be staying in the camp unless you have someone with you until you've healed. I don't want anything to happen to anyone else in the camp."

"That's fine. I don't think I want to go out too soon." Magnoliapaw said

"Same here." Sunpaw said.

"Okay then, I'll see you two later." Orangestar said, walking out.

Magnoliapaw and Sandpaw snuggled closer and fell asleep.


End file.
